Potato-planting machine.



A. J. PAULY. V POTATO PLANTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY3,1911.

1,061,490, Patented May 13, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEBT 1.

COLUMBIA PLANOHRAPH cu. WASHINGTON, D, c

A. J. PAULY.

POTATO PLANTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 3, 1911.

1,061,490. atented May13,1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

TED @TATFZFT PATENT @FFTCE.

ANTON JAMES PAULY, OF STOCKERAU, AUSTRIA-HUNGARY.

POTATO-PLANTING MACHINE.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, AN'roN James PAULY, a subject of the AustrianEmperor, and residing at Stockerau, Lower Austria, Austria- Hungary,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Potato-PlantingMachines, of which the following is a specificat-ion.

The present invention relates to a potato planting machine of the typein which the seed potatoes fall out of the container or hopper bygravity into recesses in a distribution disk rotating on a horizontalshaft beneath the container.

The present invention consists in apparatus for potato planting machinesof the above type the most important feature of which consists in soarrangii'ig the front peripheral edge of each recess in the direction ofrotation of the distributor disk, that it is at a greater distance fromthe axis than the back edges of the recess, in order to move thecontents of the container forward each time before a potato falls into arecess of the distributor disk.

""" The invention also consists in the provision of agitating anddispersing rollers in the container to prevent the formation of hollowinternal spaces within the grouped seed in the container and also in theprovision of devices for removing potatoes which may become jammed inthe recesses of the distribution disk.

Reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings showing severalmodifications of the machine and in which Figure 1 is a side elevation,Fig. 2 a plan of the machine in connection with a plow having two shareswhich are arranged in the usual way behind the potato sowing machine insuch manner that the front share covers up the furrow already plowed andfilled with seed potatoes, while the rear share forms the furrowrequired for the potatoes to be laid on the next journey. Figs. 3, =1;and 5 show a vertical section on line a-a of Fig. 2, a front elevationand a plan of the dis tributing device drawn to a larger scale, and Fig.6 is a vertical section of a modified form of a distributer diskprovided with two recesses. Figs. 7 and 8 show two vertical. sections atright angles to one another of a modified machine according to thisinvention. Fig. 9 is a plan of the distributor device of Figs. 7 and 8with the container omitted. '3

Fig. 10 is a vertical section of Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed May 3, 1911.

' atented May 13, 1913.

Serial No. 624,709.

another modification, and Fig. 11 a horizontal section on line e-.a ofFig. 10.

According to Figs. 1 to 0, on the frame 1 of a double share plow of theusual type a hopper 2 is mounted in a casting 3, consisting of twoportions, to the lower cylindrical part =1 of which the distributor pipe5 is attached. In the casing 1 a disk 7 revolves on a lun-izontal shaft(3 and is provided with one (Fig. 3), two (Fig. (3) or more peripheralrecesses 8, each of which is intended to remove a seed potato from thehopper 2 and transfer it to the distributor pipe The size of therecesses 8 may be varied for different sized seed potatoes by placinginsets of varying thickness (see Fig. (5 in dotted lines) in therecesses. The distributor disk 7 is of such shape that the frontperipheral edge 8 of each recess 8, in the direction of rotation of thedisk, is at a greater distance from the axis than the rear edge 8 of therecess. ,ln'imediately above and across the disk 7 two dispersingrollers 10 are journaled in the sides of the casting 2') which retate inthe opposite direction to one another from inward to outward. Above andtransverse to the rollers 10 two agitating rollers 11 are journaled inthe sides of the casting 3 which both rot-ale in the same direction.

On the wheels 12 of the plow rotating when it is in motion, the chain 13drives the double chain wheel 15, loosely mounted on the shaft 14, whichrotates the coupling member 17 loosely mounted on the shaft 6 by meansof the chain 16. The shaft (3 with the distributor disk 7 can be rotatedby means of the emipling clutch 18 which is adjustable on the shaft (3.On the shaft (5 a large toothed wheel 19 is mounted which meshes with abroad toothed wheel 20 fixed on the shaft 21 having a bevel wheel 22 atthe other end which meshes with a bevel wheel 23 on the axle of one ofthe rollers 11. Fastened to the other end of this axle is a chain wheel94, which is coupled by a chain 25 with a chain wheel 26 of the samesize on the axle of the other roller 11, so that both rollers 11 rotatewith the same velocity, and in the same direction. Meshing with thebroad toothed wheel 20 is another toothed wheel 27 fixed on the axle ofthe front roller 10 and causing it to rotate. The other roller 10 isdriven by a toothed wheel 28 on the shaft (3 and meshes with a toothedwheel 29 keyed fast on the axle of the roller 10.

By the action of the machine the seed potatoes fall separately from thehopper 2 into the recesses 8 of the rotatin distributer disk 7 by whichthey are transferred to the distributer pipe 5. Owing to the peculiarshape of the distributer disk 7 the seed potatoes in the hopper 2 areraised each time before a potato falls into a recess 8 of thedistributer disk 7, resulting in the seed potatoes being transferredregularly from the hopper 2 to the recesses 8, and damage to thepotatoes remaining in the hopper being pre vented by the two rollers 10,rotating in opposite directions, which remove the superfiuous potatoesfrom the periphery of the distributor disk 7 The agitating rollers 11keep the seed potatoes in the hopper constantly moving and thus preventchoking.

In the modification of the machine according to Figs. 7 to 9, thedistributer 7 is provided with three recesses 8 and is mounted at theoutlet of the hopper 2 on the horizontal shaft 6. The lower container isfurther closed by the two pairs of rollers 30, 30 31, 31 The rollers ordisks 30, 30 provided with wheels are of the same breadth as thedistributer disk 7 and are rotated in the same direction as the latter.The rollers 31, 31 which are journaled transversely to the rollers 30,30 bot-h rotate in the same direction. The axles of the two pairs ofrollers are all arranged approximately in a horizontal plane tangentialto the outer periphery of the distributer 7. The rollers are driven inthe following manner :Mounted on the shaft 6 of the distributer 7 is alarge spur gear wheel 32 meshing with two small toothed wheels 34 on theshafts 33 which drive the toothed wheels 37 and 38 on the axles 35 and36 of the rollers 30, 30 so that both rollers 30, 30 rotate in the samedirection as the distributer 7. The shaft 35 of the roller 30 isjournaled in two levers 39 oscillating on the shaft 33, so that on thetransference of larger sized potatoes the roller 30 can swing outwardaway from the same, thus obviating damage to the seed potatoes. Afterthe passage of the larger potatoes, the roller 30 is returned to thenormal posit-ion by the pressure between the teeth of the wheels 34 and37 This return of the roller 30 may be further assisted by a pressurespring 10 acting on the lower arm of the lever 39. Two bevel wheels 41mounted on the shaft 36 drive the bevel wheels 42 on the axles of therollers 31, 31 Against the roller 31, which has the tendency to advancethe potatoes toward the side of the hopper 2, a small roller 43 restsloosely which is rotated by friction by the roller 31 in the oppositedirection and prevents the seed potatoes becoming heaped up against thisside of the hopper. The distributer disk 7, which is thinner toward thecenter, is inclosed between two fixed plates 44 at its upper half, whichlimit the apertures 8 laterally. The arc-shaped cut lower edges of theplates H are bent relatively to one another to form a sort of trough andrun eccentrically to the distributer disk 7 toward the outlet of themachine. Owing to these eccentric edges 45 potatoes which may becomejammed in the distributer disk 7 will be removed, thus assuring theseeds being laid regularly in the furrows. It is preferable to arrangethe plates 44 adjustable in respect to the distributer disk 7 in orderto be able to admit and fix the distance between the sheets 44 fordifferent sized seeds.

In the modification of the distributer device according to Figs. 10 and11 the agitating roller 30 is mounted directly on the toothed wheelshaft 33, so that the roller 30 revolves in the opposite direction tothe roller 30. This arrangement of the roller 30 is the best forpreventing the formation of internal hollow spaces in the grouped seedsin the hopper. Further the distributer disk 7 is only made conicaltoward the center on one side and a plate 44:, adjustable by means 7 ofthe pin46, is provided on this side alone.

Having now described my invention what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is 1. In a potato planting machine, thecombination with a seed hopper, of a recessed disk for distributing theseeds, the recesses being so formed that the forward edge of each recessin the direction of rotation is raised to a greater axial distance fromthe axis of the disk than the rear edge of said recess, whereby theseeds are loosened by the action of said disk before the recess is inposition to receive a seed from the hopper.

2. A potato planting machine comprising in combination, a hoppercontaining seed potatoes, a grooved disk for distributing the potatoes,means for driving the disk, and rotary dispersing rollers mounted inoperative relation to the distributing disk, the groove in the diskbeing such that the front edge is radially farther distant from the axisof the disk than the back edge.

3. A potato planting machine, comprising in combination, a hoppercontaining seed potatoes, a grooved disk for distributing the potatoes,rotary dispersing rollers mounted in cooperative relation to the disk,means for driving the disk and dispersing rollers, agitating rollersarranged above and transversely of the dispersing rollers, and means fordriving the agitating rollers in the same direction.

t. A potato planting machine, comprising in combination a hoppercontaining seed potatoes, a grooved disk for distributing the potatoes,the groove on one edge in the direction of rotation being at a greaterdistance from the axis than the back edge, rotary dispersing rollersmounted in cooperative relation to the disk, means for driving the diskand dispersing rollers, agitating rollers arranged above andtransversely of the dispersing rollers, and means for driving theagitating rollers in the same direction.

A potato planting machine, comprising in combination a hopper containingseed potatoes, a grooved disk mounted in a horizontal plane fordistributing the potatoes, dispersing rollers mounted also in ahorizontal plane in operative relation to the distributing disk,agitating rollers also in a horizontal plane arranged transversely ofthe dispersing rollers and tangential to the periphery of thedistributing disk, and means for driving the latter, the dispersingrollers in opposite directions and the agitating rollers in the samedirection.

6. A potato planting machine comprising in combination, a hopper, agrooved distributing disk, dispersing rollers mounted in operativerelation to the distributing disk, agitating rollers arrangedtransversely of the dispersing rollers, means whereby one ot theagitating rollers may yield outwardly, and means for driving the disk,the dispersing and the agitating rollers.

7. A potato planting machine comprising in combination a hopper, agrooved distributing disk, dispersing rollers mounted in operativerelation to the distributing disk, 0

agitating rollers arranged transversely ot the dispersing rollers,levers for supporting one of the agitating rollers adapted to swing onthe shaft of an intermediate wheel, which transmits the rotationalmovement from the sha'tt ot the distrilmter disk to the axle of theyielding agitating roller, and means for driving the distributing diskand the dispersing rollers, and the agitating rollers.

8. A. potato planting machine comprising in combination, a hopper, agrooved distributing disk, dispersing rollers mounted in operativerelation to the distributing disk, agitating rollers arrangedtransversely of the dispersing rollers, means whereby one of J theagitating rollers may yield outwardly, a small roller loosely journaledagainst one of the agitating rollers for moving the potatoes toward thesides ot the hopper and rotated by friction in the opposite direction,and means for driving the disk, the dispersing and the agitatingrollers.

In testimony whereot. T atiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ANTON JAMES IAULY. \Vitnesses Annual) Knoss, AUoUs'r Fnoenn.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. C.

